Calling all Chenderit alumni for special anniversary

When the school opened in 1979 the average UK house cost just £13,650, Theresa May had just graduated from university, Margaret Thatcher began the year as leader of the opposition before becoming the country’s first female Prime Minister, and Sony launched a portable cassette player called a Walkman.

There was also no M40 linking the town to the industrial hubs of Birmingham and London so Banbury was a predominantly rural economy, famed for its vibrant and historic cattle market.

So the thought to construct and develop a large comprehensive school in a small satellite village was both revolutionary and prescient as the school has gone on to educate hundreds of students at GSCE and later A-level standard.

It is those students the school is now seeking via a Facebook page called ‘Chenderit School Alumni’ where photos of past students have been posted and memories of long past school days shared. Already over 1,000 people follow the page.

If social media is not your forte then contact headteacher Jane Cartwright or head of art Tom Christy at Archery Road, Middleton Cheney, OX17 2QR or by calling 01295 711567.

The school is particularly keen to discover old photographs or memorabilia that may be hiding in former student’s lofts and attics.

Headteacher Jane Cartwright said: “It is rare for us to look so far back into the past, but the picture that has emerged so far of life at Chenderit in 1979 describes a school that is ambitious with a dedicated staff willing to go above and beyond and students who are helpful, hard-working and happy, proud to be part of their school community. Although so much has changed in the last 40 years, it is good these things have remained so constant at Chenderit School.”